Stapling machine



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I Zip 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 STAPLING .lanies Balton, Baltimore, Md. Application October 17, 1947, Serial No. 780,311

This invention relates to stapling machines for binding wires together and has particular reference to devices of this character for automatically stapling in alignment a plurality 'of aligned wires in coil spring constructions employed in mattresses, cushions, upholstered furniture, 'etc.

In the manufacture of these spring structures, a pair of coils are joined at their top and bottom end convolutions with a straight wire or rod disposed between the end convolutions of thela dia- 6 Claims. (Cl. 140-11) cent coils, the three wires being stapled together so that the'wires are'in alignment within the staple. This stapling process has beenperformed,'

heretofore, largely by hand, and the mechanical expedients used to relieve hand operation have been found wantin in that they do not provide an effective. rapid, automatic method and means for yielding a good stapling job.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a stapling machine which overcomes the foregoing objections incident to the prior stapling devices and which binds the wires in a neat, tight,

effective manner, both rapidly and automatically.

A further object ofthis invention is to provide a machine for automatically stapling in alignment a plurality of aligned wires by cycles of operations involving regulation of the feed of a metal ribbon from which staple blanks are cut, timing the cutting of the staple blank, shaping of the staple blank into a U-shape in position 1 about the wires to be gripped and bound in alignment, and successive clinching of the end'of each leg of the staple over the wires, thus yielding a solid structure with the staple held tightly and snugly against and about the Wires.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an automatic stapling machine wherein cam -controlled, power-applied mechanical elements' or members will operate synchronously to efiect the desired sequence and cycles of operations involving regulation oi. the feed of a metal ribbon from which staple blanks are cut, timing the cutting of the staple blank. shaping of the staple blank into a U-shape in position about the wires to be gripped and bound in alignment, and successive clinching of the end of each leg of the staple over the wires in tight and snug hold.

Other, further and more specific objects of this invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration'of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

. 2 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary'side view and taken from the opposite side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section on line |I of Fig. 5.

.Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bar for disengaging the clutch. 1

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the dog-carrying block in the clutch operating mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a section on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on line "-4 I of Fig. 12 is a section on line l2|2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a section on line Iii-l3 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 14 and 15 are perspective views of the two complementary parts of the stationary blade of the shear for cutting the tape.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the upper tape feeding roll and its operating mechanism.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a block for separating the feed rolls.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view'of the tape cutting and bending punch.

Fig. 19 is an elevation of the disc and its cam track.

Figs. 20 to 27 are sectional views through the anvil and punch of my device showing the successive steps in forming the loop.

Fig. 28 is a section on line 28-28 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 29 is a perspective view of portions of two springs and a wire secured together by a staple.

The machine comprises a frame 2 on top of which is secured a table 4. Approximatelymidway between the floor and the table is a cross member 6 on the frame 2 to which are bolted two angle irons 8, the latter also being supported by a brace l0 extending rearward from the back of the frame.

Connectin the forward ends of the bars 8 is a pin it on which is pivotally mounted a bracket I 4, a motor l6 being in turn secured to the bracket and capable of a swinging movement about the pin [2. A pulley I8 on-the motor shaft I9 is connected to another pulley 20 mounted on one end of a shaft 22 by a belt 24, the weight of the motor,

tending to pivot about the pin 12, holding the belt taut. On the opposite end of shaft 22 is another pulley 26, smaller than pulley 20, and connected varied by the adjusting nut 48. A cam 42 and a 2 and 18. The feed rolls are located at the rear disk 44, the latter having an internal cam trackof frame 2, directly below table 4. To enable 48, are mounted on the shaft 32 for purposes the tape to be threaded between the rolls. the hereinafter described. upper feed roll H8 is mounted in cars I28 of a The shaft 22 is mounted in the upper end of 5 bracket I22 bolted to the table as shown in Fig. a lever 48, pivoted midway of its ends on a pin 2 and the lower feed roll H8 is mounted in an 88 and mounted in ears 52 at the rear of the arm I24 pivoted at I28 to bracket I22 and pressed frame. A bolt 54 is threaded in the frame and upwardly by a spring I28. causing the rolls to bears against the lower end 88 of the lever 48. engage the tape. The outer-end of arm I24 is By adjusting the bolt 54 the belt 28 may be bifurcated and rotatably mounted'therein is a tightened or loosened. separator block I30 having a handle I32. The

The pulley 30 is loose o the shaft 32 but may upper part of the separator block I30 is also be connected thereto by a one-revolution clutch bifurcated and the upper horizontal faces I34 of that will now be described. A foot lever or the bifurcations are disposed just below a pin treadle 58 is pivoted to the rear of the frame I38 secured in theears I of bracket I22. 2, near the bottom thereof, and is provided with Notches I38 are provided in the faces I34 adapedal 80. The lower end of alink 82 is secured iacent their rear edges. When the handle is to the lever 58 and its upper end is secured to turned clockwise, as seen by Fig. 3, the faces I34 a member 84, the latter provided with a pin 88 will engage the pin I38 causing a camming acprojecting through ahole 88 in a plate 10 secured 20 tion, thus swinging the arm I24 about its pivot to the frame 22 A spring 12 fastened to a pin and moving the roll II8 away from roll H8. 14 in the member 84 and to a pin 18 in the plate This allows free movement of the tape between 10 holds the foot lever in raised position. The the rolls. If the block I30 is swung until the hole 88 is larger than the pin 88 to permit denotches I38 engage the pin I38, the arm I24 pression of the foot lever, but limits its upward will be locked in a lowered position and the tape movement. p can be freely adjusted.

A block 18 is pivoted to the plate 10 by the To feed the tape between the rolls a lever I40 bolt 80 and carries aspring-pressed dog 82 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a shaft I42 engages in a notch 84 in bar 88, the latter slid- (Fig. 3), the lower end of the lever carrying a ing in guides 88 on the plate 10. Movement of roller I44 engaging the face of cam 42. A horithe bar 88 is limited by a pin and slot conneczontal link I48 is pivotally connected at one end tion 88. The -bar 88 is urged upwardly by a to the upper end of lever I40 and at its other spring 80. Mounted on the shaft 32 is a collar end is pivotally connected to a plate I48, the 82 keyed to the hub 84 of pulley 30 and provided latter carrying a spring-pressed dog I50 engagwith a series of semi-circular openings 88 around ing rachet I52 secured to the shaft I53 carrying its inner periphery. The shaft 32 has an the upper roll H8. The plate I48 is also pivoted elongated bore '88. A pin I08 is pivotally dison this shaft I53. The roller I44 is urged in posed in this bore 88 and in a collar I02, and contact with the cam 42 by a spring I54, bearing the collar I02 bears against the collar 82. Both at one end against the head of a rod I55, which collars as well as pin I00 and pulley 30 are held passes through the spring and is secured to the against axial movement by an inner flange I04 lever, and at its other end against a yoke I58 on shaft 32 and a washer I05 and nut I08 on secured to the frame. The length of the stroke the end of shaft 32. The pin I00 has a dependof the lever may be varied by a collar I58 ing arm I08 that engages the upper end of bar threaded on the rod and a lock nut I80. It will 88 and is urged in a clockwise direction (as thus be seen that as the roller I44 follows the viewed in Fi 5) about the shaft 32 by a spring cam 42 the roller II8 will be given a step by '0. The pin I00 has a cutout portion II2, equal step rotation and will feed the tape forwardly. to the width of the collar 82, as clearly shown After leaving the feed rolls the tape,passes in Fig. 4. When the foot pedal is depressed it slightly upwardly and forwardly through a guide will pull down the bar 88, disengaging it from tube I82 and through a groove in a guide plate the arm I08. When this occurs the spring IIO I84 secured to the table. Another tube I88 will give a partial rotation to the pin I00 causguides the tape from the plate I84 to what m y ing the portion having the face II2 slabbed of! be termed the stationaryfpart of the shear, more to project beyond the periphery of the shaft-and fully described hereinafter. engage one of the notches 88 in collar 82, thereby A roller I88 bears against the cam 42 below its effecting rotation of the collar and the pulley shaft 32 and is carried by a lever I10 pivoted on keyed thereto. a shaft I12 carriedin the frame 2. The roller is Since the bar 88 has a vertical movement and held against the cam by a spring I13. The forthe dog 82 actuating it has an arcuate moveward end of the punch lever I10 is pivotally conment, the dog will ride out of the notch 84 short- 60 nected to a two-part adjustable knuckle I14, the ly after the bar disengages from the arm I08, upper end of the knuckle being connected with and the bar 88 urged by spring 80 will return and imparting vertical movement to a rod I18 to its original position and again engage the arm guided in a bearing I18 on the frame 2, a key I80 I08'after the pulley has made one revolution, rein the bearing preventing rotary movement of the gardless of whether the operator removes his foot 05 rod. A punch I82 is secured in the upper end of from the pedal. This engagement of the bar 88 the rod I18 by a set screw I84 and the upper end with the arm I08 will cause the pin I00 to turn of the punch has a transverse slot I88 for a purin a counter-clockwise direction, thus disengagpose which will later appear. A pressure rod I88 ing it from collar 82. The brake band 38 preslides in a bore I30 in the punch I82 and has a vents over run n 0! h p l y. 7 head I82 that moves in a counter bore I84, the

Rotatably mounted in the-outer ends of angle rod I88 being urged upwards at all times by a irons'8 is a roll of steel tape II4 about in. spring I88 also disposed in the counterbore and wide. The tapepasses between the upper and bearing against the head I82. The spring I88 lower feed rolls H8 and H8 which have engagis held in place by a plu 8- ing gears II8, one of which is shown in Figs. A block 200 is secured to the table 4 and has a for the punch I82. Upper and lower die block 264 and 286 are secured to the block 268 and complete the guide for the "punch. The upper die block 286 has'an opening-288 to receive a tongue 2 I8 on the lower, die block 284. The length of the tongue 2I8 is less than the depth of the opening 288 and there is thus provided a space slightly greater than the thickness of the tape. The tape H4 is fed through this space and its forward edge bears against the base of the U- shaped opening 282 in in Fig. 20.

An anvil 2I2 is positioned slightly above the" table 4 and has a downwardly projecting portion 2 passing through a slot 2I6 in the table and fastened in a slot 2I'I in a. slide 2I8 moving in guideways 220 on the under side of the table. Guide bars 22I hold the slide in the guideway. Horizontal movement of the bar 86 and anvil 2I2 is provided by a bell crank lever 222 pivoted on a shaft 224 in the frame, the lever at one end having a roller 226 riding in a cam track or groove 228 in the disk 44 and'the other end of the lever being connected to an adjustable knuckle 230.

downwardly projecting portion 2I4 by a vertical bolt 236. The ironing finger 234 has a vertical slot 238 and a bolt 240 passes through this slot 238 and the bifurcations of the anvil 2I2. A collar 24I is secured to bolt 236 and bears against the under surface of the ironing finger 234. By this construction the ironing finger 234 may be adjusted vertically by the bolt 236 to take care of slight variations in the thickness of the tape II4. When the ironing finger 234 is in the desired position, it is locked by bolt 240. The pins 242, set in complementary grooves in the bifurcations of the anvil 2I2 and ironing finger 234, as shown in' Fig. 11, guide the ironing finger in its vertical adjustment. The bifurcations and ironing finger a... link us to bring the tape he position shown in Fig. 20. Continued rotation of ,thacam 42 will start raising the punch I82 and the cam track 228 will operate the lever 222, moving the anvil to the position shown in Fig. 21. Continued upward movement of the punch will shear the tape "4 and carry the cut portion upward as shown in Fig. 22, while at the same time the anvil block 280, as clearly shown I the slot I86 in the punch as shown in Fig. 25.

extend horizontally from the portion 2 with their under surfaces just above the table 4, and the ironing finger 234 has a slot 244 in the under surface. This is the part that does the actual folding of the staple, as the latter is held in the punch I82.

Blocks 246, having arcuate surfaces 248 are fastened to the table by screws 250 and serve to position one of the springs to be fastened by the staple.

In the operation of the machine a spring 252 is positioned on the table by the blocks 246 and a connecting rod 254, usually of the same diameter as the spring, is placed against it, as shown in Figs. 12 and 29. Offsets 256 in the rod indicate to the operator the positioning of the red. A second spring 258 is then brought against the rod, as also shown in Figs. 12 and 29. With both springs and the rod held under the anvil 2I2, the machine is ready for a stapling operation.

The operator places his foot on the pedal which will operate the clutch to rotate shaft 32. This will turn cam 42 keyed on the shaft and operate the feed rolls H6 and H8 through lever I44 continues its movement.

' When the anvil and punch reach the position shown in Fig. 23, the horizontal movement 01' the anvil ceases, due to a dwell in the cam track228. The punch continues upwardly,- and as the springs and rod are held by the under surfaces. of the bifurcations of the anvil 2I-2, the staple will start to bend as indicated in'Fig. 24. The pressure rod I88 will start to depress but will hold the springs and rod firmly against the under surface of the anvil and continued upward move ment of the punch will form the staple into a U, with its base, and the springs and rod, located in The springs and rod will be snllZly and tightly held in the base of this U.

The upward movement of the punch now ceases and a forward movement of the anvil again takes place. The under surface 260 of the ironing finger 234, to the rear of the slot 244, is spaced above the under. surfaces of the bifurcations of anvil 2I2 a distance equal to the thickness of the tape and, as the anvil moves forward, the rear edge of slot 244 will engage the rear unturned leg of the staple and bend it down on the springs and rod, as shown in Fig. 26. The surface 260 will hold the leg after it is bent, as also seen inFig. 26.

Due to the shape of cam track 228, the anvil will now start to retract its movement and, as it does, the forward edge of slot 244 will engage the other or front leg of the staple and bend it down on the first leg as clearly seen in Fig. 2'7. The forward surface 262 of ironing finger 234 is spaced above the under surfaces of the bifurcations of the anvil 2I2 a distance equal to twice the thickness of the tape and is higher than the surface 260 by a distance equal to the thickness of the tape sothat on the return movement it can press the leg of "the staple down on the previously bent leg. This completes the stapling operation. The parts return to the position shown in Fig. 20. the stapled springs and rod re- 'moved, others put in position, and the machine is ready to repeat the operation.

By reference to Figs. 25, 26 and 27, it will be seen that in the most outward position of the punch I82 there is a small clearance between the plane of the outer face of the punch and the under surfaces of the bifurcations of the anvil 2I2. This is a. preferred condition of operation, for, in

addition to the wires being held in close-and snug,

embrace by the staple, tight clinching of the staple about the wires is assured through adequate utilization of the pressure of the ironing finger upon the staple and wires as this finger slides parallel to the aligned wires.

As above stated, the ironing finger 234 can be adjusted vertically for variations or different thicknesses of tape and also for variations. in tightness and pressure of staple on the wires. Adjustment of knuckle I14 will take care of slight variations in the thicknesses of the springs 252 and 258 and rod 254. rod I88 is an important element as it keepsthe springs bearing firmly against the under surface of the anvil, so that no vertical movement can The pressure occur. Horizontal movement of the parts being operated on is prevented as they are held in the slot Ill of the punch.

By employing the process and apparatus set.

forth above, my novel stapling operation is carried out automatically and results in the staple being held snugly and tightly about the wires with by way of limitation and, in view of the numerous modifications which may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, it is desired that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stapling machine for wires, a table, a bifurcated anvil in reciprocating relation to said table and an ironing member connected to'said anvil and disposed between the bifurcations, said ironing member having a pair of legs spaced from each other and providing with said bifurcations the walls of a cavity overlying said table, one of said legs of the ironing member having a face spaced from the faces of the bifurcations of said anvil a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the staple and the other leg having a face at a distance from the faces of the bifurcations of said anvil substantially equal to twice the thickness of the staple.

2. In a stapling machine for wires, a table, a bifurcated anvil in reciprocating relation to said table and an ironing member connected to said anvil and disposed between the bifurcations of said anvil, said ironing member having a pair of legs spaced from each other and providing with said bifurcations the walls of a cavity overlying said table, one of said legs of the ironing member having a flat face spaced from the faces of the bifurcations of said anvil a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the staple and the other leg having a flat face at a distance from the faces 3. In a'stapling machine for wires, means for clinching the staple about the wires, said means at a distance from the faces of the bifurcatims of said anvil substantially equal to the thickness of the staple and the path of movement of the other face being at a distance from the faces of the bifurcations of said anvil substantially equal 45 of the bifurcations of said anvil substantially equal to twice the thickness of the staple.

to twice the thickness of the staple.

clinching the staple about the wires, said means comprising a table and a bifurcated anvil adapted to hold a plurality of wires in taut state, and an ironing member connected to s anvil and comprising a pair of ironing faces spaced from each other and providing an intermediate cavity to receive the legs of the U-shaped staple preliminary to clinching, said ironing member having one of its ironing faces spaced from said table a distance greater in length than the spacing of said other face of the ironing member from said table by an amount equal to the thickness of said step e.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 and having means for moving the ironing member substantially parallel to the wires,

6. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein the ironing member is disposed between the bifurcations of the anvil.

JAMES BALTON.

BEFERENCEQ CITED The following referencesfrare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

